Google will temporary remove content from EU publishers in ‘small’ test

Ben Schoon | Nov 13 2024 - 7:32 am PT

Google is running a “small” test in portions of Europe which will see content from EU-based news publishers being removed from Google products including Search and News for a period of time.

In a post on The Keyword, Google details that it will be running a test in accordance with the European Copyright Directive (EUCD). The test is designed to help publishers in the EU determine the impact of Google products – Search, News, and Discover – drive traffic to publishers and impacts “the search experience” for Google’s users.

The test is being performed, Google says, as “regulators and publishers” have requested additional data regarding Google’s effect on news content.

Google describes the test as “small” and “time-limited,” and it will indeed have a fairly small impact. Google says that 1% of users in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain will see the test. Content from websites based outside of the EU will not be affected.

Google explains:

As we comply with these laws, regulators and publishers have asked for additional data about the effect of news content in Search on peoples’ use of our products. To meet this request, we will be running a small, time-limited test in which we don’t show results from EU-based news publishers in Google News, Search, and Discover. This test will affect 1% of users in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. We will continue to show results from other websites, including news publishers based outside the EU. We intend to use this test to assess how results from EU news publishers impact the search experience for our users and traffic to publishers.

It’s unclear if any changes will come from this test at this time, but it comes at a time where small publishers are increasingly feeling the effects of a changing Google Search.